Distributing control device



Oct. 23, 1945 w. cl EWALDSON 2 0 DISTRIBUTING CONTROL DEVICE Filed April5, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR w C. EWALDSON 6,! m A TTORNEV Oct; 23,1945.

w. c. EWALDSON DISTRIBUTiNG CONTROL DEVICE A 2 Sheecs-Sheet 2 I FiledApril 5, 1944 i aa z INVENTOR W C.- EWALDSON ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 23,1945 DISTRIBUTING CONTROL DEVICE Waldemar C. Ewaldson, Millington, N.J., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N Y.,a corporation of New York Application April 5, 1944, Serial No. 529,585

7. Claims.

Thi invention relates to a distributing control device, particularly fortoroidal coil winding apparatus.

In the manufacture of toroidal coils, the wires to be wound upon thecores thereof are required to be of given diameters within fine limits,but the existence of variations in the diameters of the wires, althoughsmall, may cause variations in the locations of the outer convolutionsof the wires on the cores. It is important that these outer convolutionslie closely adjacent so that during the finishing operations of thecoils, the outer convolutions will form a substantially continuoussurface.

An object of the invention is to provide a distributor for windingapparatus which is simple in structure and highly variable to compensatefor .variations in the size of material being distributed. I

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises adistributing mechanism in a winding apparatus including actuable means,interposed between the driving means and the work support, to causevariations in the movement of the latter for the laying of closelyadjacent convolutions of strand material on the work.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdetailed description when considered in conjunction with ing drawings,wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the distributing mechanismshown in a winding appara tus;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, portionsthereof being broken away;

Fig. 3is an enlarged vertical sectional View of the distributingmechanism, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view taken substantially alongthe line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

the accompany- Referring now tothe drawings, particularly Figs. land 2,a material serving head is indicated generally at I!) and includes aconventional annular bobbin or material support H supported by rollers12. The rollers l2 are mountedupon spindles M carried in bearingportions of one side ofa supporting bracket IS. A driving ring I 6,having teeth 11 formed in its inner periphery, is supported by aplurality of gears 13 mounted upon spindles IS, the latter being carriedin bearing portions of the other side of the bracket IS. A feeding rollor sheave 28, carried by the drivin ring l6, receives a wire or strandmaterial 2| from the bobbin H and directs it to a core 22 about whichthe material is wound. The low ermost spindle l9 extends laterally asshown in Fig. 2, where it is supported by a bearing 25 in a bracket 26and has a sprocket 2! mounted thereon to be driven by a chain 28 from asuitable power means (not shown). Through the aid of a hand wheel 29,the spindle may be rotatedifor manually positioning the ring l6 and. thebobbin I 1 relative to the core 22.

The core 22 is held in a unit 30 which includes a fixed support 3! and amovable clamp 32 actuable by a threaded element 33 relative to a holdingscrew 34, to cause clamping of the core or articles between the support3| and the clamp 32. The 'unit30 is mounted upon a, flange 35 fixed toor formed integral with a rod 36 which is disposed in a chuck 37. Thechuck 31 is mounted upon an element 38, which extends laterally andrests upon a bearing member 39, the latter having a ball race 40adjacent its periphery for receiving ball-like bearing memberspositioned to ride upon a companion member 42, the latter being mountedupon a base 43.

A spindle extends vertically through an aperture 46 in the base 43 andis fixed against rotation by the aid of a pin 41. The spindle alsoextends through apertures in the bearing members 42 and 39 as well asthe element 38. A bearing v48 connects the element 38 and the upperbearing member 39 for rotation upon the spindle 45, the element 38extending to the left of the spindle, as shown in Fig. 3, to support thechuck 31. A plate or supporting bracket 50, of the contour illustratedin Fig. 2, is disposed upon theelement 38 and fixed thereto, as at 5|.The bracket 50 is also apertured for the spindle 45 and isadditionallysecured to the element 38 as well as the upper bearing member 39 throughthe'aid of a screw 52. A sleeve 54 is disposed upon the upper end of thespindle 45 for rotation thereon. A worm gear 55 is disposed concentricwith the sleeve 54 and secured thereto through the aid. of a c amp 5 thesleeve 54 being held against displacement upon the spindle through theaid of lock nuts 51. .Another worm gear '58, identical with the gear 55,is disposed therebeneath upon the sleeve 54 and keyed thereto as at 59.A driving shaft (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) is driven by any suitable power means(not shown) in synchronism with the driving means for the chain 28, tocause operation of the serving head In to serve the material 2| at agiven rate upon the core 2?. during movement of the core forthedistribution of the material there on. A worm 62, mounted upon the shaft60 and driven thereby, interengages the worm gear 55 to cause rotationthereof.

The bracket 50 has a bearing member 63 mounted thereon for rotatablysupporting a shaft v64 (Fig. 4). A worm 65 is fixedly mounted upon theshaftv 64 and interengages the worm gear 58. A bevelled gear 66, fixedlymounted upon the other end of the shaft 64, interengages a, similarbevelled gear 61 which is mounted upon one end of a shaft 68,, thelatter being journalled in a bearing 69 of a bracket 16. The bracket H!is fixedly mounted, as at H, upon the bracket '56. A hand wheel 12 isfixedly mounted upon the other end of the shaft 68 for manual rotationof the shaft.

Upon considering the operation of the apparatus, let it be assumed thatthe bobbin II is filled with the desired amount of material 2!, which inthe present instancei's an insulated wire of a suitable conductivematerial, and that the article, namley the core 22, is supported in thework holder or unit 30. If the diameter of the insulated wir is of agiven diameter, the driving mechanism (not shown) for the shaft 60 andthe chain '23 is adjusted so that if the material throughout'itslengthis of thegiven diameter, the core will be moved .at a speedrelative to the head so that each portion of each convolution of theWire upon the outer periphery of the core will be in close engagementwith each other. The disitributing "mechanism is such that during thetravel of 'the'rotatin'g portions, namelythe bobbin 1! and the driving'ring l6, through one complete cycle, the core willbe moved the givendistance about the spindle '45, the axis of which is at the "center line:of the article. This movement is brought about through the rotation ofthe shaft -60 to rotate the worm gear 55 through its worm '62, to rotatethe sleeve 54 and with it the worm 'gear56. Th'e'worm"65,-unlessrotated, that is, in its normal inactive position, provides a positiveconnection between the worm gear 58 and the bracket 50, causing thebracket, together with the element 38 and the unit supported thereby,"with the article or core -22, to move at a given rate of speed aboutthe' spindle 45.

The laying of the material on thecore is observed 'by the operator, andif the outer portions of the convolutions should tend to pile up, theoperator may instantly vary the position of the article with respect tothe serving head through the rotation of the hand wheel 12, its shaft68, 'and,thr'ough'theaid of the bevelled gears 61 and -66, to causerotation of the worm 65 to advance the movement of "the unit 30 toeliminate the existence of this condition. If the portions of the "outerconvolutions of "the material should appear to be 'spacedapart and notdisposed c'loselyadja- 'cent,the movement of the unit 30 'withthe coreor article'22 may be retarded by movementof the hand wheel 12 in "theopposite direction to move the *unit '36 with the article relative tothe worm gear 5'8' 'so'tha't these convolutions will be more closelypositioned with respect to each other. All of 'these variations may bebrought about with- 'out stopping the operation of the apparatus orwithout varying the setting thereof 'for the type of material or wirebeing employed. As previously described, the material or insulated wiremust be if a given diameter within certain limits,'these'limi'ts'b'eing, for eXampl'e,'plus or minus .003 of'aniinch.These limits are 'very small, but it -is apparent'that if the dimensionsof the wire should includeo'ne 'or 'theother'of these 1imits,'themultiplication of these limits over several convolutionsof thematerialwould eventually cause them to pileup or to be spaced apart.This is overcome'through the aid of the'varyin'g means embodied in thedistributing mechanism of the apparatus.

Although specific improvements of the invention have been shown anddescribed, it will be understood that they are but illustrative and thatvariou modifications may be made therein without departing from thescope and spirit of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: I

'1. 'In an apparatus for winding material on a circular articleincluding a unit to support the article and a rotatable serving head forthe material, driving means to rotate the serving head at a constantspeed to cause laying of convolue tions of the material on the article,means to support the unit for rotary movement about an axis in alignmentwith the center line of the artile, a"variable element carried by theunit, a member operatively connected to the element and rotatable aboutthe axis, driving means operable in synchronism with the driving meansfor the serving head and including the element and the member to movethe unit and the article about the said axis and center line to causethe portions of the convolutions. of the material at the outer peripheryof the article to successively lay "at predetermined positions relativeIto each other, andmeans to actuate "th'eelement'to vary the saiddriving means for the unit to vary the said positions of thepor'tion's'of the material while the speed of'the serving head remains c'onstant.

2. In an apparatus for winding materialon -'a circular article includinga unit to support the article and a rotatable serving head 'for thematerial, driving means -to rotate the serving head at a constant speedto cause laying 'of'conv'o'lu- -tions'of the material on the article,means to sup'} port the unit for rotary movement about anaxis inalignment with the center lineof the article, a variable elementcarried'by' the unit, a member operatively connected to the element androtat- Table about the axis, driving means operable in 'synchronismwiththe driving means fo'r the serving head and including the elementand the member to move the unit and the article about the said axis andcenter 'lineto cause the portions of the convolutions of the material'at the outer peripher of "the article to successively lay "atpredetermined positions relative to each other, and means to actuate'theelement relative to the member 'to retard the said 'driv'ingm'ea'n's forthe unit to cause positioning of the said portions of the materialcloser together while the speed of the serving head remains constant.

3. In an apparatus for winding material on a circular article includinga unit to support :the article and a rotatable serving head for theTinateria'l, driving means to rotate the serving head at a constantspeed to cause laying 'of convolutions of the material onthe-article,=means to support the unit for rotary movement about an axis:in alignment with the center line .of the article, a variable elementcarried by the unit, a member operatively connected to the element andretatable about the axis, driving means operable in synchronism with thedriving means for the serving head and including the element and themember to move the 'unit and the article about the said-axis and centerline'to 'cause the portions of the convolutions of the material at theouter peripheryof the article to successively 'lay at predeterminedpositions relative to each other, and means to actuate the elementrelative to the member to increase the speed of movement =of the unit tocause positioning of the said portions of the material at more widelyspaced positions while the speed of the serving head remains constant.

4. In an apparatus for winding material on a circular article includinga unit to support the article and a rotatable serving head for thematerial, driving means to rotate the serving head at a constant speedto cause laying of convolutions of the materal on the article, means tosupport the unit for rotary movement about an axis in alignment with thecenter line of the article, a member rotated on the axis at a constantspeed, a variable element operatively connecting the member to the unitto normally cause rotation of the unit and the article at the same speedas the member is rotated, means to rotate the member, and means toactuate the element relative to the member to vary the speed of the unitto vary the laying of the convolutions of the material on the articlewhile the speed of the serving head remains constant.

5. In an apparatus for winding material on a circular article includinga unit to support the article and a rotatable serving head for thematerial, driving means to rotate the serving head at a constant speedto cause laying of convolutions of the material on the article, means tosupport the unit for rotar movement about an axis in alignment with thecenter line of the article, a member rotated on the axis at a constantspeed, a variable element operatively connecting the member to the unitto normally cause rotation of the unit and the article at the same speedas the member is rotated, means to rotate the member, and means toactuate the element relative to the member to retard the speed of theunit to cause positioning of the convolutions of the material closertogether on the article while the speed of the serving head remainsconstant.

6. In an apparatus for winding material on a circular article includinga unit to support the article and a rotatable serving head for thematerial, driving means to rotate the serving head at a constant speedto cause laying of convolutions of the material on the article, means tosupport the unit for rotary movement about an axis in alignment with theoenter'line of the article, a, member rotated on the axis at a constantspeed, a variable element operatively connecting the member to the unitto normally cause rotation of the unit and the article at the same speedas the member is rotated, means to rotate the member, and means toactuate the element relative to the member to increase the speed of theunits to cause positioning of the convolutions of the material fartherapart on the article while the speed of the serving head remainsconstant.

7. In an apparatus for winding material on a circular article includinga unit to support the article and a rotatable serving head for thematerial, driving means to rotate the serving head at a constant speedto cause laying of convolutions of the material on the article, means tosupport the unit for rotary movement about an axis in alignment with thecenter line of the article, a worm gear rotated on the axis at aconstant speed, a worm operatively connecting the worm gear to the unitto normally cause rotation of the unit and the article at the same speedas the gear is rotated, means to rotate the gear, and means to rotatethe worm to vary the speed of rotation of the unit to vary the laying ofthe oonvolutions of the material on the article while the speed of theserving head remains con-

